YAC-ety, YAC not music to Packers' ears

By Todd McMahon
News-Chronicle
Here's one staggering example in which the numbers illustrate only half of the story. The Houston Texans are ranked ninth in this week's NFL statistics with an average of 247.4 passing yards per game. Second-year standout Andre Johnson ranks sixth in the league with 752 receiving yards.

In trying to decipher how both offense and individual have been proficient through nine games this season, one needs only to examine what has been transpiring once a pass reception is made. "They're very effective after the catch," Green Bay Packers defensive backs coach Kurt Schottenheimer acknowledged Thursday.

Schottenheimer's charges in the secondary surely will be tested by Johnson and Co. when the Packers visit Houston on Sunday night.

Nearly half of Johnson's receiving yards have been compiled after the catch - 316, which computes to 42 percent of his season total. He ranks second in the league for what's commonly referred to as YAC, trailing only the 434 rolled up by New York Giants halfback Tiki Barber.

Texans halfback Domanick Davis also ranks high in the category, occupying the eighth spot with 269 yards, which is 83.3 percent of his season yardage total of 323.

By comparison, the Packers' best YAC producer is Javon Walker, who is 19th in the league with 227 yards. That translates to only 26.6 percent of his total output of 857 yards, which is good for second place among all receivers.

As a team, the Texans are third in the league with 1,054 yards after the catch - or 44.3 percent of their season receiving total of 2,377.

"They're all strong and fast guys. They make people miss. As a group, they're very dangerous after the catch," Schottenheimer said.

To the longtime NFL coach, it's no secret as to how the Texans are turning modest gains into substantial ones. The play calling, incorporating an array of shallow crossing routes, skinny posts and deep throws, is allowing quarterback David Carr to get the football into his receivers' hands while they're on the run.

That allows the receiver to sustain the acceleration and gain some separation from the nearest defender. The byproduct is what Packers safety Bhawoh Jue believes is another big factor in the high YAC counts for the Texans.